


A Cup of Coffee

by Yung_Mofftiss (OnWednesdaysWeStudyinPink)



Category: Fringe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-05
Updated: 2009-11-05
Packaged: 2017-12-14 22:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnWednesdaysWeStudyinPink/pseuds/Yung_Mofftiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two women unknowingly connected meet at a group therapy session.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Cup of Coffee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [muselives](https://archiveofourown.org/users/muselives/gifts).



ra Coleman clutches her empty Styrofoam cup with both hands, still trying to come to terms with the fact that the group therapy’s coffee warmer is broken and empty. She’s taking a break from university for a semester because she’s been diagnosed as suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder after that thing—that thing—that thing—

She rummages through her sweater pocket for her inhaler and quickly breathes in the cool medication. Sometimes she gets herself worked up by what happened which is why she’s here at the evening group therapy session for people suffering from ptsd; most of the other people here are back from Iraq or Afghanistan, though there are some who were involved in other situations that have left them in bad shake. Therapy is over and once again she remained silent because what she’s experienced is simply too unbelievable.

That and she’s without coffee.

Little things like this are what leave her a wreck—she has a hard time handling change anymore. Her dry-cleaning being late, her favourite show being delayed because of a baseball game on television, the little store around the corner being out of milk—all these things ruin her pattern of living, take away what little control she has.

It’s after therapy, an evening group because she usually sleeps during the day, and the other people here are bustling around to get some of the stale saltines set out and putting on their coats for the cold weather outside. Tara’s drifting around the entrance where the jackets and scarves are hanging, feeling a little lost because she’s expecting her evening dose of caffeine.

Someone bumps slightly into her and Tara jerks back, startled. There’s a slender woman who looks just as nervous as she does and they exchange shy, embarrassed smiles.

“Sorry,” the other woman mumbles.

“I was in the way,” Tara apologises, pushing her curly hair behind her ear.

The woman is pretty, though tired looking as though she hasn’t had much sleep in a long time. Tara knows how that is—there are still nights where she has to sleep with the lights on in her little studio apartment. Well, the nights she’s able to sleep, that is. The other woman seems uncomfortable looking at her face, her eyes flitting up to hers briefly before leaving to stare at the floor. Tara wonders what would cause something like that.

“So what are you here for?”

The woman gives a bitter laugh. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

“Try me. Can't be as bad or as weird as what happened to me,” Tara challenges and the other woman shifts her weight back and forth from her left and right feet before taking a deep breath.

“This guy's face…it…” she shudders and Tara watches her close her eyes, as if she can’t bare to see whatever it is she’s imagining.

“My professor,” Tara starts quietly, holding the empty cup tighter, “this thing came out of his mouth when I tried to help him…”

They don’t realise it, but both of them are thinking about a blonde FBI agent who talked to them after their ordeal.

The woman opens her eyes and gives her a very tired smile. “I’m Joanne.”

“I’m Tara,” she introduces, her smile just as weary. Her body is screaming for caffeine and she is starting to get a headache from the withdrawal. “Could I invite you to coffee?”

Joanne’s eyes glance down at the empty cup Tara holds, obviously knowing that the lack of coffee at therapy is very unsettling. “I'm really in the mood for dinner.”

“Okay,” Tara agrees, feeling very comfortable with Joanne.

Joanne affixes a furry teal beret over her chestnut hair. “I know this really great French place—“

“No, no, no French,” Tara quickly, thinking of snails being put in her mouth, and she has to find her inhaler again.

Joanne bites her lower lip as she looks at the floor. “There's Greek around the block.”

Tara pauses for a moment to think if there’s anything slimy served in Greek food. “Yeah, let's do that.”

The other woman still avoids looking at her face, but gently takes the cup from Tara’s hands, tossing it in the garbage. Tara feels a little unsure what to do with her hands before remembering that she has mittens and earmuffs to put on. Joanne waits patiently until Tara is ready for the late fall weather outside. As they step out into the cold evening air, the two link hands, one in mittens and the other in gloves. Giant slugs and melting faces will soon be forgotten tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Both are their actual names! muselives and I were talking about our love of crack and obscure pairings and I started talking about this pairing as a joke, then I realised how well it would actually work lol ;)


End file.
